8:III:Kansas Rebel
by Kaoz
Summary: Pre-S1 set during S3 Companion piece to Penance. The boys run into an old face and remember high school. Haunted caverns, kegger over night camp outs, an Aswang lead to blood, gore, death and some wisdom from John Winchester for a girl who's seen too much
1. Camping, really?

Camping, really?

"Dean you wouldn't last a night camping." Sam retorted. They'd been driving non-stop for two days, each taking a turn at the wheel and the confining space inside the Impala had finally started to wear on the brothers.

"Hey, I've camped out before." Dean snapped glaring at the road ahead of them. "Up in Black Rock and in the Catskills-." He began to name, raising a finger for each.

"Dude you couldn't stop complaining!" Sam cut in practically yelling. The fact that his brother never wasted an opportunity to toss Sam's own complaints in his face had finally gotten to him. Dead or dying, Sam wasn't going to let Dean keep tossing those at him without giving a few back.

"That wasn't complaining."

"What? We weren't a day into the hike and you already wanted to go back." Sam's voice dropped as he mimicked Dean. "Dude, why are we even out here? Are we there yet? It's just bears, Sam. There's no Wendigo."

"I do not sound like that." Dean growled. "And there wasn't a Wendigo." He muttered.

"Face it; you're too prissy for a non-essential camp out." Sam ignored Dean's comment and sat back trying to find a more comfortable position. Unfortunately, it wouldn't last more than a few minutes, just like the last position he'd been in.

"Hey, just because I like my comforts," and here Dean thought back to all the little things he liked about living in the modern world. Showers, hot and cold running water, toilets and toilet paper- nothing beat toilet paper but you couldn't get that in the woods. Nope, there sure were a bunch of leaves all over the damn place, though.

And soft, comfy beds… yep, Dean sure loved his bed or whichever one he ended up in on any given night.

Food, he loved being able to order something warm, a good hearty breakfast and that you couldn't get in the woods, no sir. Bacon. Dean loved bacon…

"Doesn't mean I can't go without them." But he sure as hell didn't want to go without.

Sam turned to his brother, an incredulous look on his face at hearing those words. He knew for a fact Dean wouldn't go without his creature comforts, not if he could help it.

"Fine." Sam smiled, pleased with his new plan. "We'll have a camp out-."

"Whoa, whoa why-I mean there's n-."

"Hey, you're the one who 'doesn't need' his comforts. You're saying that's not true?" Sam watched Dean start to protests but he wasn't letting this one slide. "I mean, if you can't handle one night under the stars Dean… just say so. Just admit you can't camp out, even fo-."

"Hey! I never said I cant, all I said was I don't like to." Dean snapped with a raised finger in his brother's direction.

"All I hear is you not wanting to camp out, cus you can't." Sam tossed back goading Dean. "Just admit it Dean-."

"I can! Shut up-."

"Prove it then. We'll find a place to camp out around here…" Sam grabbed the map he'd been looking at, some of the towns had been marked, towns where they'd seen Phade or rather Jaden since she was using her middle name. "Here. Look, ten miles up ahead there should be a road on the left."

"Right, we're going 'Wrong Turn' now, Sammy." Dean snapped ignoring the map. "You forget what happened the last time we went on an unmarked dirt road? You forget those inbreeding hillbilly freaks-."

"They kidnapped me, Dean. We didn't intentionally go looking for them." Realizing how that sounded he quickly amended. "And we're not looking for trouble this time either. Look, it's close to a river, you'll get your running water and we got the sleeping bags in the trunk. Lighter fluid and matches-." Sam frowned trying to think what else was stored in the trunk.

"What- you're making a damn list of camping gear in the trunk?" Dean snarled already hating where Sam was going and if he just said 'No', just kept driving past the road Dean knew there'd be no peace unless he strangled his own brother.

'I went to a lot of trouble to get him back.'

Killing Sam was out of the question.

"We got the essentials, Dean the rest is up to you but if you can't spend one night-." Sam pestered seeing his brothers reddening face. It was a sure sign Sam was getting to him.

"Fine! Alright if it'll get you to shut up!"

Sam smirked, satisfied with the results he'd gotten and all by pestering his older brother.

'Man, that never gets old.'

w

She dove in the pool and felt the cool water slide over her skin. There was no one around which was why Jaden chose the spot. It was a little glade off the main highway, not close enough for the few motorists roaring by to hear the splash of running water and it wasn't likely any would go off the main road, unless they hadn't seen 'Wrong Turn' or any other such horror movie. A safe enough spot Jaden could camp out for the night, one far away from any city or town, from another hotel and noisy neighbor. How she hated having to sleep on strange beds- beds other strangers had slept in and God only knew what else they'd done in them.

'You've done the same in at least two others.' The little voice mocked bringing a bright red flush to her cheeks.

Jaden floated on her back, eyes staring at the blue sky and though she tried not to think about her past mistakes she couldn't help the shiver coursing through her body at memory of the most recent one.

Four.

At least she thought that's how many times she'd used the guy. Used for sure, abused? She frowned.

Used.

That wasn't like her, to use people but she lied all the time. She had to in order to hunt the demons, to get the one she was looking for and how long was that going to take?

"As long it has to." She murmured softly, her arms lazily propelling her along the pool while water rushed around her body.

Use.

No, Jaden didn't use people because she better than most knew what it felt like to be used.

Dad had always said guys would offer to bring down the moon for her, they said so to every pretty girl. Of course he was biased because he was her Father and Father's always think their little girls are the prettiest girls in the world.

Dad warned and he talked and he explained and then left Jaden to make her own choice from the young age of fourteen. To her parent's relief, even though she flirted shamelessly and joked and laughed and called attention from the boys, Jaden never took any of them seriously. They offered her the moon, the stars; wrote her poems (which 'ick' weren't very good or at all manly in her eyes) others tried serenading her and the one for her 15th birthday tried writing her a song!

Yes, they all tried like boys and men will always try and each one went away getting absolutely nothing they wanted from Jaden.

Nope, that wouldn't happen until senior year with Dante Reynoso.

Jaden ducked under the water but the memories weren't that easy to drown.

'Wishing you could drown the fucker huh?'

Yes, drown him, castrate him, turn the asshole into a fucking eunuch for all the lies he told her.

Really though, it wasn't his fault she gave in so easily because all Dante did was whisper sweet nothings in her ear. He charmed her, played the gentle man (as much as any teenage boy could) until he finally got what he wanted. And hadn't she been warned? Hadn't they told her boys only wanted one thing?

"He played me." Jaden whispered as she tread water and the sting of those words hadn't diminished over the years. She snuck around; found ways of spending time alone with him, even got caught sneaking in and suffered her punishment only to find out Dante had another bitch on the side.

Yeah, bitch.

That's exactly what he'd called her when Jaden found him fooling around and he said it again when she cried, when she yelled and hit him.

"Seventeen and so fucking stupid." Jaden mourned wishing she'd paid more attention but it was too late to change the past. She was thankful there had been no consequences from that- stupidity, that's what that was.

How she'd ever thought to be in love with the bastard was beyond her current ability to comprehend.

"Seventeen…"

Jaden swam towards the rock ledge at the deeper end of the pool. She sat there, the water rushing around her torso and let the sun warm her skin. The water was loud as it crashed over the three tiered boulders, worn smooth by time. A dark crevice brimmed with a whirlpool; Jaden found herself staring at it wondering if maybe there was a little cavern in there. Like the one in the book she'd read- her brow furrowed unable to recall the title but then she read a lot of books. Still, the more she stared the more she wanted to go exploring…

w

The rumble of the engine disturbed the quiet. Birds squawked in protest and launched themselves from the trees. The sound of the flowing stream was no competition for the engine but the crash of water from the trio of rocks contributed its own noise.

Dean pulled up and stared at the classic Mustang sitting almost parallel to the stream. The black rag top had been left down, the leather interior practically called to him. Its shinny navy paint job reflected the swaying trees…

"Someone's already camping here." Sam stated. The brothers got out, doors closing and in the silence from the engine the rushing water was clearer. Sam surveyed the 'campsite' taking in the hole dug in the ground and lined with rocks which held a crackling fire. A fish was set in a brace high over the flames, cooking along with five skewers of vegetables and pieces of meat.

Dean by-passed the ice chest to admire the Mustang. Its clean lines were classic and though it was by no means his baby he could admire the power under the hood.

"Cobra jet 428." He murmured bending to touch the little silver cobra on the side. "GT 500 KR… this baby goes over-."

"Dean." Sam called, disapproval in every syllable as he watched the blond head bent over the Shelby.

He straightened, a scowl on his features ready to snap at his little brother when the splashing of water had both brothers looking to the small pool that had formed. The rush of water from the rocks ate away at the dirt and someone had obviously come along and lined up smaller rocks to collect the water.

Dean's eyes widened taking in the flailing figure splashing in the pool. Both brothers headed towards the figure but Dean threw off his jacket as he ran.

"Dean, wait!" Sam called but his brother was already calf deep in the water before he dove the rest of the way in.

Dean's blond head broke the surface and in three strokes reached the drowning woman. He wrapped an arm around her waist surprised to feel her bare skin slippery on his.

'She's naked.' The thought made him hesitate but then her hands splashed in the water and he tightened his arm around her torso.

"No, Dean-." Sam watched as the woman screamed, more anger than fear in her voice. She threw her arm back trying to break free, her face turned towards Sam who couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Phade?"

"Stop moving lady, I'm trying to help!" Dean yelled only to get smacked in the face. He let go of the crazy woman almost drowning himself as he clutched his nose taking in water with his curses.

Now free, she turned in the water and pushed off Dean with her foot in his stomach, ignoring the sharp burning pain between her shoulder blades. She ducked under the water once more only to come up almost immediately. The locks of hair were washed away from her eyes and Sam could see her glare.

"Stay the hell away!" she yelled wincing.

"Dean!" Sam called taking another step forward.

"Damn crazy woman!" Dean snapped still not able to see her through the water splashing in his face. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She couldn't believe the run of bad luck she was having with these two. Worst of all was hearing them call each other by name, it couldn't be a coincidence.

"Winchester?" her voice rasped from being under so long but she'd been able to get to the crack between the rocks and almost got herself stuck for her trouble. It was the stinging pain between her shoulders that had her clawing to the surface and swallowing a mouthful of water.

Dean stopped his cursing at the sound of his last name; Sam was looking a little excited. Hope bloomed; maybe she was remembering them…

**_Fort Wayne, Indiana…_**

_The girls sat in the kitchen listening to the boys shouting along to the video game in the living room. They were bored, like they got bored every winter break since they'd been kids, all except for the new girl…_

_Turning bright green eyes onto the golden skinned brunette, Leighton pasted her fake smile and twirled a light auburn strand of hair around her finger._

_"Guess you're not going_ _to get all pasty this winter." The slight arch of the thin eyebrow was a clear indication the head cheerleader was planning something unpleasant. "You're all just so…brown."_

_The silence would've been uncomfortable except it was broken by a quick reply from the usually quiet girl._

_"Actually, it's a natural gold tan but I do get pale in the winter. Then again this is Indiana, not California…"_

_"You miss the beaches?" Melina asked trying to stall Leighton's attack. She knew where the animosity arose and they were currently hanging out in his kitchen._

_"The beach, the mall, Los Angeles-."_

_"Well shit, Jaden that's all of it." Leighton laughed slapping her palm on the marble counter._

_"We don't get snow in Los Angeles." Phade said half shrugging and hoping to appease the other girl. Fighting with this group was not in her best interest and hanging out with Guy and Luis wasn't fun, not in high school. The fact Lui didn't like her boyfriend only made things worse but to tell the truth she wasn't that fond of Dusty anyway._

_"But the beach!" Melina repeated leaning on the counter. Phade was getting tired of talking about the waves and the seaweed and the night fish (they weren't actually night fish but since that's when she saw them flopping around on the sand, the name stuck). _

_"Mel, she doesn't want to talk about that again." Leighton snapped. She was right but Phade didn't like being spoken for and unlike her usual reaction she kept her mouth shut and let it ride. _

_"It just sounds so… great! I mean the beach, Lei!" Melina closed her eyes and you could tell she was picturing it. "We're always talking about going-."_

_"That was sixth grade Melina." Leighton cut her daydreaming short, a faint blush staining her pale face though she played it off. "This is high school now and we're Juniors." Her eyes flicked over Phade and at any other time the petite brunette would've gotten up and thrown down with the snooty bitch. "Not you of course."_

_"Of course." Phade concurred happy not to be in the same year. Half the time she couldn't stand Leighton and Melina could get so annoying…_

_"It's so boring Lei. What else are we going to talk about? The guys don't even know we're here because of that stupid game." Melina complained and her whole demeanor was comical in its posed dejectedness. _

_"There's always the haunting up in Boot Hill Ice Caves." Leighton supplied. The smile on the older girl's face was unpleasant to say the least. She was expecting Phade to change the subject as she usually did whenever a scary movie, haunting, some urban legend or folk tale was brought up. The bright green eyes bore into Phade's bent head._

_The first image that came to Phade was Aunt Luciana lying in the middle of the street, hand outstretched and lips moving as she tried to speak. Leighton's voice provided a ghastly narrative to the memory until Phade couldn't stand to sit quietly anymore. _

_"Don't tell me your scared, PJ." Leighton stared directly at Phade as she raised her head._

_"My name is Jaden." Phade stated pushing the anger down as she got off the kitchen stool. The uncomfortable anxiety was creeping through her body just talking about their stupid haunting._

_"She is scared!" Leighton squealed standing up._

_"Ghost aren't real." Phade snapped hating the lie she was forced to repeat, the lie her Mother had forced to her say after-._

_"Guys!" Leighton called turning to the living room. "Jaden's scared of the-."_

_"Shut up!" Phade warned glancing towards the other room but Leighton smirked, skipping towards the living room. "I'm not scared, Leighton."_

_The green eyes narrowed and before Phade could make her stop she started running towards the guys._

_"Leighton!" Phade called sprinting after the older girl._

_Seeing them run off Melina sighed as she got up to follow them._

_"Leigh." She called though it did nothing to stop the other girl from making fun of Phade._

_Melina could hear them in the hall then Leighton yelled and a series of thuds sounded against the floor._

_All three guys turned at the sound of Leighton's voice, the video game forgotten until the screen turned red._

_"Get off you freak!" Leighton shoved on Phade as the guys watched. Both girls were tangled just inside the living room but neither guy moved to help them. Syrus noted the flash of annoyance in Phade's brown eyes but, like other times, she said nothing. Sometimes he wondered why she kept her opinions to herself, why she was so quiet but he wasn't about to ask._

_Dusty finally got up and went around the couch as Phade picked herself up off the floor._

_"Leave her alone, Leigh." Noël drawled as she came into the living room from the opposite side._

_"Sorry," Phade mumbled seeing all the attention she'd garnered. "I… tripped." The lie wasn't any easier than the one before but it had been a knee jerk reaction. Tackling Leighton had just seemed like her only option at the time but now… well, she could've just let the older girl run at the mouth and ignored her._

_"Hey babe." Dusty grinned apparently amused by his girlfriend's 'clumsiness'. He draped a muscled arm around her shoulders pulling her into his side. Phade swallowed the grimace and suffered his patronizing in silence. She hated being such a mousy thing but it certainly seemed to make life easier with the kids at the new school._

_"Sure you did." Leighton snapped dusting her immaculate jeans. "Like you're not scared of the Boot Hill Ice Caves and the crazy killer living in there."_

_"Aww, don't be scared." Dusty rubbed her arm only making her feel more awkward._

_"Yeah," Blake smirked. "Cus Duty's gonna protect you." He made a face, tongue flicking out in a gross imitation. _

_"Ignore him." ordered rolling her eyes at Blake. "It's just an old story anyway." _

_"They tell it a lot. The old ones." Syrus added moving around the couch. He draped an arm around Noël's waist and she leaned into his side, both completely comfortable in each other's arms. Phade felt bad, a little guilty because it wasn't the same for her and Dusty but the truth was she didn't feel the same towards him. _

_Her Father had told her most of the boys would love to say they dated the 'new girl' first and she should be careful about who she picked to date but the move hadn't been her idea. She'd been adamant about not leaving LA but there she was, in the potato state. _

_Was it the potato state?_

_"It's about the only time we pay attention." Elliot agreed tossing the controller aside. _

_"Not in my family." Phade murmured thinking of all the family dinners and the summers she'd spent listening to the grandes tell their stories. It was the only way to pass the evening in the rancho. That was all gone now, grandmother was dead and so was Tia Luicana. Uncle RJ moved away and took Tim, not that he would've left him behind but there was never any word from them. Not one letter from Timmy even though he'd promised to write her._

_'It's my fault.'_

_Phade tried to understand, the way they must feel because of Tia Luc but it didn't change the fact they knew she was right, they knew and they just left…_

_'It's my fault.'_

_"I hear ya." Noël commiserated then noticed their looks. "Hey summer vacations, holidays and not to mention monthly family dinners."_

_"She's not exaggerating." Syrus said having experienced the family dinner on more than one occasion. After their first year together he was part of the family and the language barrier wasn't a problem. Syrus took up Spanish and with Noël's help he was never below a B in class. _

_"Yeah well family gatherings and vacations aside I have a great idea!" Leighton butted in, a brilliant smile on her face as she looked at the group assembled. _

_Phade got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Nothing ever good came of Leigh's 'ideas' at least not for Phade. _

_"We should have a camp out." the smile only widened and Blake was the first to hoot, the excitement seconded by Elliot. "We can make it a party."_

_"Kegger!" Blake concurred, slapping palms with Elliot._

_"No." Noël shook her head. "No beers-."_

_"Dude, muzzle your girlfriend." Blake ordered ignoring the glare from Noël. "We are so gonna party." He said turning around._

_"Blake…" Melina tried but the jock never listened much to any of them aside from Dusty or Syrus._

_"It's settled, Melina." Leighton turned a hard stare on the chocolate curled brunette that immediately shut her up. "We're going tonight-."_

_"No."_

_"It's too soon."_

_"We can't go tonight."_

_The protests came from most of the group only Blake and Leighton were insistent._

_"Fine!" Blake yelled getting their attention. "How's tomorrow night sound?"_

w

"Stay the hell away from me!" Jaden yelled splashing more water at Dean.

"No, no- we're not going to hurt you." Sam assured, both hands held out to show he wasn't armed and had no bad intentions. "Phade please-."

Jaden glared, stuck two fingers in her mouth and let out a sharp whistle. Sam stood with his mouth open half leaning towards the pool of water staring.

"You hit me!" Dean accused, green eyes flashing with anger.

"You were trying to drown me." Jaden snapped rising a little bit out of the water in her anger.

"I dove in to save you!" Dean retorted, moving closer to her without realizing it.

"Roque!" Jaden yelled pushing herself further away from Dean. "Roque!" she glanced over her shoulder wondering where the hell her dog was- had he heard her whistle for him?

"Dean." Sam called but his brother wasn't listening, something that tended to happen when Dean was angry.

The rushing water had masked the sound before but Jaden heard it and the smile on her face gave Dean pause.

"Oh this cant be good." He mumbled watching Ph-Jaden smile.

"Get out of the water, Dean." Sam ordered, brown eyes focused on the trees on the other side of the pool. "Now."

"Yes, get out." Jaden repeated smugly. "Makes it easier to get your ass chewed up."

"How hard is it to get through your head, Pha-Jaden?" Dean snapped as he reached the lip of stone. He pulled himself up and stood, water dripping from his soaked clothes, facing her again. "Look, we're trying to figure out what happened to you. To help you-."

"Like you helped by opening the Hell Gate and letting out more demons?" Jaden snapped. "Because we sure as hell didn't have enough of them still killing innocent people!"

"We didn't open the gate!" Dean yelled.

"Tu me crees pendeja, imbecil!"

Dean's mouth opened and closed, green eyes flashing as he tried to form a retort.

"What the hell-."

"Whoof!"

The sudden appearance of Roque startled Dean. He flinched; boot slipping on the slick rock and the splash he made drenched him once more.

"No- no, ok!" Sam waved his arms. "Phade- you know us-."

"Stop calling me that!" Jaden yelled. She hated hearing it, hated the reminder of the little girl no one believed was telling the truth. Well, now the little girl was all grown up and nobody was going to tell her she didn't know what she was seeing.

"Look, there's something wrong with you." Sam told her. Dean could've told him it was the wrong thing to say but he was busy pulling himself out of the water. "You know us, you helped us in Los Angeles and then in Monte Rio. P-Jaden, you're supposed to be in LA preparing for some… some, War-."

"This coming from the evil brother!" Jaden yelled. "You're not fooling me."

"He's not evil!" Dean said defending Sam. "And you're missing memories. I don't know what happened to you but we're telling the truth. I saw you, Jaden. I saw you hunt- you killed some demon dogs and vampires-."

"You are both off your rockers. Roque-." She turned her head seeing Roque standing in the shallow end of the pool. He was snarling, teeth bared and saliva flying from his muzzle as he barked at the Winchester's.

"You live at the Hyperion!" Dean yelled starting to move away from the water and the snarling dog slowly coming across. He was talking-yelling without really knowing what to say. Blurting out information like he had diarrhea of the mouth.

It wouldn't be the first time.'

"You work for a vampire-."

"I've never seen a vampire!" Jaden yelled.

"You told us about what you are. You're some sort of champion- a Fury!" Sam cut in remembering her words in the diner and back in the hotel room.

"Stop lying!" She was angry at their lies, that they'd try and confuse her. "I can't believe you're his sons." The softness of her voice hurt but the look in her eyes was one Dean wouldn't forget.

"What?" Sam was shocked. It was clear she had meant that as an insult. Dean stood on the grassy bank; body trembling more from anger than cold because the wind was blowing lightly. The last vestiges of summer were finally gone; the water itself was uncomfortably cold.

"John Winchester." Jaden repeated. "I know who you are. I remember John…"

w


	2. I remember

I remember…

_**Fort Wayne, Indiana. John**_

_He didn't want to take them, his sons. They'd been through enough, been in too much danger for such young lives but the look on Dean's face…_

_John knew his oldest would stay if he ordered it. He knew that as sure as he knew the sky would be blue._

_'I can't protect them forever.'_

_But he sure as hell wanted to. These were his boys, his and Mary's. _

_John could see Mary in Dean, the green eyes, sandy blond hair but it was Sam that most reminded him of his Mary. _

_Sam he hovered over._

_Sam who taxed his patience._

_Sam who fought against the training._

_Sam who looked at John with anger-._

_"Get your gear. We're going to the Boot Hill Ice Caves."_

_**Fort Wayne, Indiana. Dean **_

_Excitement coursed through Dean. His Dad hardly took them on a hunt, it was Sam's fault. He was too young even though he was big- huge. Dean glanced over his shoulder to the back seat. Yup, his brother was frowning. Dean could only hope there wouldn't be any arguing, this time._

_'Maybe I'll get lucky today.'_

_Dean knew better. Sammy had been unusually quiet, it was about time for another family blow out and Dean would be stuck in the middle again. Playing mediator and trying to keep their little family together._

_Fourteen… but that was no excuse for Sam's constant disobedience. Why couldn't he just-._

_The reflection in the glass finally caught Dean's attention. The green eyes glittered brightly in the darkened interior of the Impala, the sandy blond hair was cropped short but it was the darker eyebrows, drawn down and the furrowed brow that most surprised Dean._

_He was glaring at his own reflection. The perpetual scowl was once more in place and all because he was anticipating the argument between his brother and Father._

_'Damn.'_

_**Fort Wayne, Indiana. Sam **_

_He hated his life, hated what they were doing, hated being part of it._

_Sam was frightened. _

_He'd seen some of what his Father hunted, heard them talking late at night when he was supposed to be sleeping… _

_One of those things killed his Mom._

_The thought didn't anger him, not the way it pissed off Dean or his Father. It didn't make him sad, he didn't mourn his Mother the way their Father mourned her or even the way Dean mourned the beautiful woman he'd know for such a short time._

_Sam didn't need to find the thing that killed her. Sam had no memory of his Mother. He couldn't remember her face, had no idea what her voice had sounded like, he didn't know what she'd smelled of, there was nothing, no memory of Mary. Sam knew nothing about her aside from the little bits Dean would tell him- when he chose to talk about their Mother._

_To Sam, Mary was just a pretty dream. Nothing more…_

_He'd never say that, not to Dean or his Father because that would hurt them because they remembered Mary. They had time with her, they needed this, needed to hunt and kill -._

_Sam could see the similarity, Dean and his Dad… they were alike. Both focused on their mission, they were unyielding and dogged in their determination; nothing was going to stop them from getting it, ruthless in their quest for vengeance._

_Dean was the perfect son._

_He didn't talk back, didn't question their Father, did everything he was told, followed orders…_

_'I'm the freak.'_

_The one who didn't belong, who constantly questioned the chain of command, who didn't bend to the almighty's will without a fight. _

_Sam hated their lives, the constant moving- leaving-. He was fourteen!_

_What could a kid do?_

_'I'm not going to be fourteen for ever.'_

_**Boot Hill Ice Caves…**_

_It was a cold night but February meant spring would be coming to thaw them out and then it wouldn't be long before the road called for the summer. He'd take his boys and hunt for the two and a half months before they were forced to find another town in which to set down for the school year. Sometimes John thought about the life he was leading, the life he was giving to his boys. Sam had literally grown up living out of the Impala. Dean could still remember what it was like to have a home and John felt guilty for not giving that to his boys. He tried to make the school year as normal as he could but finding the demon… he couldn't rest until it was dead._

_John focused on his surroundings, leading his boys closer to the Ice Caves through the spindly trees bare of leaves that cast disconcerting shadows. He motioned for the boys to keep silent as they proceeded into the first cavern. He'd chosen the least traveled paths wanting to keep out of sight. The first cavern, cold as the night was, produced no menacing beast. The Aswang was likely hidden deeper in the caverns. _

_Dean's flashlight shone in the dark followed by Sam's as their Dad led the way through the winding trails half marked out by the guides. Dean noticed their current path hadn't gotten much use. He kept pace with his Father glancing over his shoulder to make sure they still had Sam with them. The frown on his face was coupled with annoyance at his brothers shuffling feet. _

_"Pay attention, Sam." Dean ordered but it only made Sam's glower intensify. It wasn't as if Sam didn't know any better because they'd been taught from a young age how to hunt. The problem was Sam didn't like to hunt. He didn't like anything that had to do with them moving all over the U.S. and living out of the Impala._

_John slowed down seeing the flickering light in the next cavern. He sent a warning hand signal to his boys and made his way into the cavern. The brown eyes flashed with annoyance and he straightened taking in the flaming charcoal in the bar-b-q pit. He stood in the center and surveyed the little 'camp site'. There were three igloo ice chests, silver canisters swimming in ice he was sure didn't say Coke. There were sleeping bags unfolded and set away from the untended fire. _

_Dean poked into one of the bags coming up with a large white marshmallow and a Hershey's bar. He grinned holding them up for his Dad to see._

_"S'mores." He popped the marshmallow in his mouth talking around it. "Looks like we got company, Dad." The chocolate bar went into his jacket pocket for later then he moved onto the next bag._

_"Leave it alone, son." John ordered frowning at Sam who was looking into another bag full of snacks. Unlike Dean, he wasn't comfortable taking what ever he found in there._

_"Think they're still around?" Dean questioned, the green eyes focused on his Dad. He was ready to do as his Father asked, waiting for the next order._

_John looked around again and worried. Not for the first time did he question the life he was giving his boys. It wasn't normal, he knew that but he refused to say so out loud. Somehow that would confirm his inability to take care of his sons, or so he'd been told._

_He tried to focus on the Aswang, had they drawn its attention? Was it stalking the kids having a little camp party? There was no doubt in John's mind there were kids involved, at least one of them was a kid. His eyes rested on the pink fuzzy pillow resting on top of the lavender sleeping bag. Could he get them out safely and still kill the Aswang?_

_"Boys, stay together." John ordered, his gaze resting solemnly on his oldest. "Watch your brother, Dean."_

_"Yes, sir." Dean replied immediately serious, he straightened his shoulders. Fierce determination lit his green eyes completely unaware of the scowl his little brother was wearing behind him._

_"Try and find these kids. Get them out." John ordered. "I'll look for the Aswang." With a curt nod he headed into the next cavern leaving his boys behind. The worry was always there but he knew they could take care of themselves, he was confident in Dean's ability to protect himself and by extension Sam. _

_"I'm not a little kid." Sam grouched at Dean's back. He was annoyed. He hadn't wanted to come in the first place and now that he was there he didn't like being treated like he was a burden to the great hunters his Father and brother obviously thought themselves. "I coulda stayed home."_

_"Shut up." Dean snapped, tired of hearing his little brother whine about everything in their lives. He wanted a dog, Dad said no. He wanted to play soccer with the other kids on the park's team, Dad said no. He wanted to join a club, Dad said no. He wanted to take a breath and Dad would likely say no. It wasn't enough he had his Father on his ass because of the hunting but now Dean was getting fed up with Sam as well._

_"Pay attention." Dean ordered leading him into a different cavern annoyed at being stuck on babysitter duty, again. _

_But it wasn't as if he didn't see it coming. Ever since their Mom died it was Dean who watched over Sam. Dean who made sure Sammy had food to eat. Dean who read Sammy to sleep. Dean who sat up in the living room waiting for their Father to come back from a hunting trip. Dean who acted as a buffer between their arguments. Dean who tried to keep the peace. Dean who did as he was told… It was always Dean._

_"Jerk." Sam muttered to brothers back._

_"Bitch."_

w

The situation was ridiculous to say the least and what-. It was impossible to explain how they'd ended up in the same spot as her.

Dean's dripping clothes were getting uncomfortable, his feet sloshed in the boots as well but he couldn't stop himself from arguing with her.

"You've got mystical amnesia, Jaden."

"You're evil!" She retorted. "Because of you I lost a friend!" anger had her treading closer to the Winchester's.

Sam's face showed concern. His immediate thought was that someone in LA had been hurt but then he didn't see how it was their fault.

"You let them out! It's you're fault he's dead!" Jaden yelled.

"What?" Sam questioned, guilt filling him and it shown from his eyes. That confirmed her suspicions, everything she'd heard about the brothers being evil, it had to be true.

"You got it wrong, Jaden." Dean said sloshing on the grassy bank. "We closed the damn gate. You'd know I'm not lying and you wouldn't be thinking we were evil if you were all there." He swirled a finger around his temple, miming the undisputed sign for 'crazy'. He was angry with her but he was more concerned. Then again she hit him, made him swallow water and all he'd been trying to do was help her. Hell all she kept doing was hit him…

_'That's not the only thing she's done…'_

"Tu eres el loco!" Jaden yelled splashing water. "You should be grateful I didn't put a bullet between your eyes!" she shouted. Her arm splashed water at the brothers, her face flushing with anger at hearing Dean's laughter. "You think I'm a fucking joke!"

"No!" Sam shook his head turning a glare on his brother. "Shut up." He snapped smacking his arm.

"Dude!" Dean protested with a glare of his own then smacked Sam.

"Roque!" Jaden yelled swirling around in the water. She didn't get out the attack command before he splashed across the shallow inlet, teeth bared, snarling and barking at the brothers.

Seeing the gray streak lunge at them, the Winchester's stopped arguing. They paused a moment, their minds not really believing the woman they'd spent over three weeks with had set her dog on them. Sam and Dean looked at each other, eyes slightly widening as they realized she'd actually done just that. Both turned and fled, running pell mell towards the safety of the Impala.

Dean would swear he'd felt the hot breath of her demon mutt on his ass. Reaching the car he yanked open the door and threw himself into the drivers seat wet clothes, soggy boots and all. He pulled the door closed behind him just as Sam jumped into the passenger side.

Sam quickly rolled up his window jerking away as the snarling fangs left slobber all over the glass.

"What the hell!" Dean exclaimed then watched the mutt jump onto the hood of his car. "NO!" he wailed listening to the dogs nails scratch on the metal. He blared the horn but it only made the dog hunker down and scratch at the windshield to get at them.

Dean's eyes widened in horror, face going red but he couldn't get any words out.

"Dean." Sam warned but his brother was busy having a heart attack. "Dean!" Sam shoved his brother and pointed past the snarling dog once more standing on the hood.

The brothers watched Jaden, now wrapped in a towel round the mustang.

"She's smiling." Sam stated with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He remembered her smiling like that before and it was never a good thing to be on the receiving end.

Jaden reached into the trunk, un-erringly grabbing her Winchester 94 model rifle. In her other hand she carried the shells which she started to load.

Dean watched her walking towards them, the antique rifle in hand… At a sharp whistle the mutt lunged off the hood running to her side. Dean wasted no time shoving his keys in the ignition. The sound of the engine drew her eyes, a scowl marring her features.

"Dean?" Sam questioned. His fingers gripped the door and dug into the leather seat back. Dean didn't answer. He threw the Impala in reverse and floored the gas. They were both thrown forward, dust clouds puffing up around the tires but they weren't moving fast, at least they didn't feel as if they were.

Jaden aimed the rifle taking her first shot before she'd sighted her target. The bullet went over the car with both men ducking low. Jaden reloaded scowling and this time sighting her target pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit the tree just as they pulled out of the clearing. Dean cursed, green eyes flashing as the bullet showered them with woodchips. He looked over his shoulder guiding the Impala over the narrow dirt road until he found a spot to turn around. More and more he was finding the open road appealing.

"Fucking hate camping!" he shouted.

_**Boot Hill Ice Caves…**_

_They were loud, telling jokes, laughing, giggling. Blake and Elliot led the way carrying both igloo's. Dusty and Syrus followed with the third igloo and the bar-b-q pit while the girls brought up the rear with the sleeping bags and snacks. Even with Noël trying to draw her into the fun Phade just couldn't muster up much enthusiasm. _

_'I shouldn't have come.'_

_In LA she hadn't been so rebellious. She'd never snuck out of her house, especially in the middle of the night to go off with some kids she barely knew to some haunted caverns. She didn't talk back to her parents, didn't do half the things she'd been doing since starting at the new school, since her Father had moved them to Indiana…_

_'I want to go home.' _

_She couldn't help feeling like they were punishing her. They said this was home, Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This was home and she had to get used to it._

_She had to get used to it. Her._

_But it was alright for them to ignore the truth, at least when it was Phade who was telling it. Hurt and resentment were buried deep. She felt alone, she was the freak of the family, the one who made up stories about demons and men with yellow eyes because she couldn't handle watching Aunt Luc get run over. She couldn't accept the truth, that bad things happened to good people all the time for no reason at all._

_"Jaden," Noël called with a grin. "What are you dreaming about over there? Come on."_

_Phade ambled over, her boots leaving perfect prints in the top layer of dirt on the cavern floor. She helped Noël set up her sleeping bag a little away from the rest. She had no doubt about where and who Noël was going to spend the night with. Phade cast a wary glance at Dusty. He'd already laid out his sleeping bag, not far from the fire and lay on his back talking to Leighton. The cheerleader kept sneaking glances at Phade but if the older girl expected a jealous girlfriend she was going to be disappointed._

_Phade didn't care one way or another. The only reason she'd even agreed to be Dusty's girlfriend was because he was the popular jock in school. The easiest way to get noticed and be left alone was to date him, exempting girls like Leighton who felt she'd cut in halfway through the dance._

_"Don't let her bother you." Noël said following Phade's gaze to the pair. "She's had this thing for Dusty since I can remember but he doesn't even know it." She shook her head chuckling softly. "He's such an idiot."_

_Phade couldn't help smiling though she bit her tongue to keep from agreeing. Out of the girls Noël was the one Phade was the most comfortable with. The older girl didn't treat her like an outsider; she made the effort to include Phade in whatever they were doing. It was Noël who'd introduced her to the small group of friends. _

_Once again Phade surveyed each of the kids, starting with Noël who turned back to the sleeping bag she was spreading on top of the first._

_Tonight she'd pulled her light brown hair into a braid, a few wisps framing her face. Phade admire the dark hazel eyes wishing hers were half as interesting. Noël didn't have freckles either, just creamy olive skin and naturally rosy heart shaped lips. Glancing at the overalls the older girl chose for the camp out she could see Noël really looked comfortable in anything. The blue thermal would keep her warm until she snuggled under the sleeping bag with Syrus. _

_Phade turned to look for him easily spotting the dark head bent over the bar-be-q pit. She smiled as he shoved the long black locks out of his face yet again but he refused to cut it. Phade thought it looked good on him but what drew her attention were his eyes. She'd never seen any like his before, a deep blue with gray flecks. It was cool and she'd said as much the first time she met him. Noël had laughed; not at all bothered another girl was openly admiring her boyfriend._

_Syrus winked startling Phade but Noël quickly got up and went to his side. Smiling Phade watched Syrus envelope Noël in his big jacket. She sighed and looked away from the cozy pair. Her eyes fell on Elliot; the brown head was bent over rooting through Melina's bag of snacks. He was just as big as the other guys but he didn't really play anything other than football. He'd grown up on the same block as Syrus and Dusty, all of them almost inseparable but it was Elliot and Syrus who were best friends. Not far from him stood Blake. His pale blond head kept turning, his blue eyes taking in everyone. Like Elliot, Blake wore his letterman jacket, extremely proud of his jock status. His jeans were already streaked with dirt at the knees from helping set up the fire. All the guys had dirt on their jeans, Syrus and Dusty also had charcoal stains on their pant legs._

_Phade didn't know what Dusty could have in common with Blake but even so they were best friends. They went almost everywhere together, Dustys's yellow blond head just an inch over Blake's pale blond. _

_Phade looked over at her boyfriend still talking to Leighton. His pale blue eyes closed and he laughed. Leighton tilted her auburn head, the fire bringing out the reddish highlights. Her gaze took in the white button down blouse missing the top buttons, the dark denim jeans that fit like a second skin, down to the leather boots. She'd worn a lavender sweater jacket that didn't help much with the cold night. Leighton shivered delicately, lazily casting a glance over her shoulder towards Phade. _

_Phade wondered why they'd never gotten together; even she could see the older girl liked him. Where another guy would have offered a jacket or even one of the blankets Melina had brought along for her to keep warm, Dusty completely ignored Leighton's cold shiver._

_Phade rolled her eyes wondering what the hell she'd been thinking in the first place. That was her boyfriend not being a gentleman. Hell, it wasn't even that because now a days what guy was a gentleman? Phade didn't count her brothers because they been taught different by her Dad but it was common courtesy wasn't it?_

_She watched the guys start on the beers; noted Noël's disapproving frown and Syrus' placating smile. Phade didn't like being in the caverns, she didn't like they'd brought beers or how the sleeping bags were arranged all separated… She looked at Dusty again and scowled._

_'If he thinks I'm getting in there with him he's gonna have one hell of a time trying to reproduce in the future.'_

_She looked at the igloo's noting there was plenty of ice to make him a pack._

_"I can't believe you've never had a S'more." Melina tisked coming up behind Phade. "I like your dress."_

_Phade glance down at her overall mini, blushing slightly. She hadn't thought about her outfit, just grabbed the first thing hanging on the back of the door. She wasn't cold either, her cream thermal top spotted with tiny little hearts kept her warm as did the black tights. Phade stuffed her gloveless hands into the short styled navy coat her Mom had found in the thrift store the year before and stared at her boots. They were the only expensive item she wore but she'd bought them with her own money even with her Mom protesting the expense._

_"Uhm, thanks." Phade murmured feeling a flush of heat suffuse her face._

_"You're not cold?" Melina asked._

_"Nah, thermal top," Phade said plucking at her collar. "And I've got tights so…" she trailed off with a shrug. Melina smiled and the silence stretched uncomfortably._

_"Well, let's make some s'mores." Melina said a little too cheerfully and turned to the fire. Phade watched her, the bright pink turtleneck peeking from the cuffs of her jacket. She wore dark jeans as well and comfortable looking half boots._

_Phade glanced around the glowing cavern, noticing the easy way they all just…were. She sighed and missed her friends at home._

_"Hey!" Leighton called. "I've got an idea."_

w

Dean was pissed off and looking at the road only gave him plenty of scratches to 'admire'.

"This was your fault!" he yelled tossing a glare at his brother. "Look at my car!"

Sam opened his mouth wondering how that made any sense.

"Her demon mutt scratched up my car! She sicked her mutt on me!" Dean exclaimed.

"You?" Sam echoed. "You weren't alone! She sicked her dog on me too, Dean!"

"You? Sam look at my car!" Dean demanded pointing out the windshield.

"That can get fixed, Dean and I don't see how this is my fault." Sam protested. He turned in his seat and pointed at his brother. "You're the one diving in-."

"This was your idea!" Dean cut in. "You're the one who wants to camp out all of a sudden!" he turned to glare at his brother. "Your fault! Yours, Sam!" Dean's voice rose, his face flushed red but he couldn't close his eyes and pretend his beloved Impala didn't get scratched up. All because his little brother had the itch to camp out.

Sam stayed quiet; bit his lip to keep from yelling back. It wasn't realistic to blame him for the scratches on the car but he knew how attached Dean was to the Impala, the sentimental value he placed on the car.

"Now what?" Sam murmured sitting glumly.

"What, what?" Dean finally asked. He cast a side glance at Sam frowning at his brother's depressed expression. He'd yelled at him worse when they were younger so getting upset over this current yelling match made no sense.

"She thinks I'm evil, Dean." Sam turned to his brother with a sigh. After all this time, with Gordon trying to kill him, now he had to worry about her too?

Dean opened his mouth but he couldn't tell Sam he was wrong, that they had nothing to worry about with Jaden because she knew them. Only she didn't, not anymore.

"You're not evil." Dean stated in a firm voice. He kept his eyes on the road refusing to look at his brother.

"She thinks you're evil." Sam scoffed shaking his head. It was typical of his brother to ignore the obvious especially when he didn't want to acknowledge there was danger. Jaden was posing a threat now, one they couldn't afford to ignore. Not after what almost happened with Gordon.

"Well, we're not." Dean retorted sending a slight scowl at Sam.

"Dean-."

"Look," he cut in. "We already explained it wasn't us. We didn't open the door, we didn't let those demons out." but the fact remained most hunters believed it was their fault. Nothing Ellen or Bobby said made a difference. People were going to believe what they wanted but when those people were hunters it tended to pose a problem for the Winchester's. They couldn't afford to be looking over their shoulders all the time and forgetting about the danger could get them killed.

_'I didn't make that deal for some hunter to come and kill my brother.'_ Dean thought.

"She doesn't believe that, Dean." And that's what had Sam worrying. She didn't remember them, didn't remember helping them… Jaden blamed them for the demons and-.

'Her friend.' He sat up, her words playing in his head again.

"Because of you I lost a friend! It's you're fault he's dead!"

But who was dead?

"Too damn bad." Dean retorted.

"It's like Gordon all over again." Sam murmured though his mind was puzzling out her words.

"I doubt…" Dean trailed off, he'd been about to deny she'd go so far but she had shot at them. She missed but she did shoot at them. Was she really going to try and kill them? Would Jaden hunt them down?

_**Boot Hill Ice Caves…**_

_She never wanted to go exploring. She didn't want to get separated from the group. She didn't even want to leave the fire! _

_"You're such a child." Leighton had said though she'd been gloating. "I knew you'd bring us down."_

_Yeah, she was the party pooper, and Dusty? He didn't bother defending his girlfriend. He'd looked annoyed but he wasn't the reason she'd gone along with Leighton's 'suggestion'. No, Phade found herself strolling through the dark supposedly inhabited caverns with her jock of a 'boyfriend' wishing she'd stayed home or at the very least hadn't jumped in just because she was goaded by that… that… Phade scowled again, cursing the older girl in her head and gripped the flashlight tighter._

_There was no one else to blame. Hadn't Luis told her she didn't always have to be so tough? Of course he did, too many times to keep count but she didn't listen. She didn't like it when people looked at her with pity. She didn't like being thought of as weak and she wasn't going to let these new kids think she was easy to push around either._

_'Right and how is this getting your point across?'_

_The truth was it wasn't proving anything other than how easy it was to manipulate her. Tell Phade she couldn't or shouldn't and there she was proving she could and would even if it was stupid._

_'Trouble. That's why I'm always getting in trouble.' But was she going to wise up? Maybe in a couple of years…_

_Phade twisted her hand around the flashlight, it was a remnant of her old life, of fun days with Timmy, both kids riding around in the patrol car with Uncle RJ._

_'It was my fault.'_

_Guilt filled her, the sting of tears burned in her eyes but she refused to let them fall._

_'No crying. You're too old to cry so knock it off.'_

_Dusty pulled her around, his touch startled Phade. She looked up, a little afraid but he was grinning, leaning down towards her._

_"What are you doing?" she pulled away, frowning. Dusty looked confused before annoyance set in. _

_"What do you think?" he snapped, tired of her always pulling away when they were alone. "I'm trying to make out with my girlfriend."_

_"Here?" Phade demanded aiming her light at the dirt floor and rocks._

_"What do you think we're doing here, Jaden?" Dusty demanded._

_"Being stupid and listening to your friend." Phade snapped. She was fed up with him, with Leighton and the rest of them. She turned on her heel intent on going back to the fire when Dusty grabbed her arm._

_"Baby," he began in a cajoling tone, a patronizing smile on his face. "You don't have to be afraid." He pulled her close holding onto her upper arms._

_Phade glared, she hated his fake sympathy. At that moment he reminded her of Blake. The way he'd mess with the freshman girls that drooled over him… He was such a jerk._

_"Don't." Phade warned and shrugged off his hands._

_"What is your problem?" Dusty demanded completely annoyed with her. He just couldn't understand what was wrong with her but he felt unappreciated. After all, he was the popular one, she should've been thankful he deigned to date her when he could've been going out with the other senior girls._

_"My prob-." Phade choked back her anger. "My problem is this stupid camp out. My problem is I'm here instead of home. I'm in the middle of nowhere! That's my problem." She finished, wishing once again she was back in LA. This wasn't home; it never would be, not for her._

_"You're lucky I've stuck with you this long." Dusty snapped._

_"Stuck with me?" Phade echoed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He actually thought she cared. Phade laughed. "Menso, I'm the one who's put up with you!"_

_"Put-." Dusty spluttered. "Fucking English!" he hated that he couldn't understand them. It was annoying when Noël started whispering to Syrus but then he went and took Spanish class sophomore year and he'd only been dating Noël a month! "Speak English! This is America."_

_"Learn the language, asshole!" Phade yelled pushing past him._

_"Ass-." Dusty yanked her around. "You dirty spic!"_

_"Pendejo!" Phade cursed trying to pull out of his hold. "Suéltame, Luis has been looking for an excuse to kick your ass!" she kicked his shin and threatened but Dusty held onto her arm. "Get off!" Phade swung the flashlight at his arm, forgetting how heavy it was. Dusty let out a pained yell and cursed but let go of her._

_"You're fucking crazy!" he yelled._

_"And don't forget it, bitch!" Phade snapped. She watched Dusty warily and clutched the flashlight in her hand ready to swing like Uncle RJ had taught her and then run like hell._

_Dusty opened his mouth, a string of curses on the tip of his tongue when they heard the echo. Phade jumped turning towards the sound and bumped into Dusty. Phade stiffened, brown eyes wide and filled with fear. She could feel her chest grow tight, her breathing become shallow._

_"That was Leighton. She's trying to freak me out." Phade turned to look up at Dusty, her tone demanding. "Right? She's faking isn't she?" but Dusty didn't answer. "You planned this-." Phade grabbed at his jacket when they heard it again. She yelped, turning towards the sound but it was coming from a different direction. _

_Dusty's arm snaked around her waist pulling her into his side. It pissed her off again. They had planned it, tried to scare her-. Phade pushed away from Dusty glaring at him._

_"Fine!" he yelled. "Make your own fucking way back alone!"_

_Phade watched him walk off, his little flashlight barely visible in the dark cavern._

w


	3. It was no one's fault

**It was no one's fault…**

"Fucking evil liars!" Jaden grumbled. She grabbed the first thing in her satchel and pulled on the cherry tube dress then draped the damp towel on the passenger seat.

There was no coincidence, there couldn't be. They had to have been following her and she'd been too lax.

"Son of a bitch!" Jaden finally yelled and slammed the lid onto the ice cooler. Pulling the cork she let the ice water drain and headed towards the bar-b-q pit. Vowing to pay more attention to the rearview mirror. Grabbing the bar-b-q spits she slid off the meat and veggies into a container.

"Fucking missed!" she glared at the tree as if it were to blame for her failed attempt to shoot the boys.

"I don't miss." But that wasn't true. Jaden wasn't perfect and no one could hit their target _every_ single time. She wasn't some… They had to be lying.

Jaden set the food on the passenger seat, grabbed the little pail and filled it with water. Disappointment set in as she poured it over the coals. She'd been looking forward to sleeping under the stars, no nosy neighbors or strange rooms.

"Now I'm stuck in a fucking hotel." Jaden yelled at the sky. "Again!" She kicked the hot bar-b-q pit in anger and got a lot more heat than she was expecting. Clutching at her foot and hoping around Jaden cursed the Winchester's.

_'Just another reason to hate the fuckers.'_

But was it fair?

Nothing ever was fair and being angry wasn't enough. It wasn't enough for them to open the doors, not enough to set a whole new group of demons on unsuspecting humans. No, the Winchester's had to follow her around making life- making it-.

And why did she keep thinking about their lies? Jaden had never _seen_ a vampire let alone lived with one and the Hyperion? Really? They chose that landmark hotel for her to live in? No, the Winchester's had been lying and the only vampires Jaden had ever seen were on TV. Then again Brad Pitt had made a very tragically romantic vampire but she'd really like Stuart Townsend as Lestat.

"They're lying. They're both evil and liars."

But saying and thinking were two different things.

So why did she have doubts?

**w**

**_Boot_****_ Hill Ice Caves_****_…_**

_She was running, her breath came in short gasps. The beam of light bounced around in front of her making Phade dizzy and the endless expanse of rocks had her turned around. Phade didn't know which way was out or where she'd started from. The echoes reverberated all around. She didn't know where they came from but she began to feel as if they were stuck in her head_

_She stopped, looked around but nothing seemed in focus. Phade put both hands against her ears forgetting about the heavy flashlight. She hardly felt it smack her head because she was pushed down, a heavy weight knocking the breath from her lungs._

_"Jaden?"_

_Her name registered. The heavy weight was pulled off and Phade shone her light on Elliot. He pushed her hand aside reaching to help her up. _

_"Where's Dusty?" he asked looking around the cavern._

_"What the hell is going on?" Melina demanded in a high pitched voice. Phade looked at the older girl seeing her wide eyes. She was scared…_

_"Jaden." Elliot called again. The tone of his voice drew her eyes to him. Phade swallowed, tried taking a deep calming breath that did nothing to make her feel better and opened her mouth to answer but she didn't know where he was._

_"H-he left." She managed._

_"Left?" Elliot echoed in disbelief. "What do you mean?"_

_"We-." Phade bit her tongue. Telling them they'd had a fight because he was- because she didn't-. "He just left ok?" it wasn't their business. She didn't have to explain herself._

_"Where?" Melina demanded grabbing onto Phade's arm. "Why would he take off?" she grew more panicked, her fingers digging into Phade's arm. _

_"Back to the camp- Oww! Melina." Phade yanked out of her hold frowning._

_"He's dead." Melina whispered, she clutched her hands to her chest unaware of the looks on Elliot and Phade's faces. "It got him, Elliot. It's going to kill us, all of us-."_

_"Shut up." Phade ordered. Her voice trembled because she knew- _she knew!

_"They'll never find our bodies. No one's ever going to know-." Melina muttered._

_"Shut up!" Phade yelled shoving the older girl. She didn't want to hear anymore, she didn't want to think about it…_

_"Knock it off!" Elliot grabbed Phade and glared at Melina. "Shut up, shut up, Mel." He grabbed her arm and shook her. "No one's dying-."_

_"How do you know? You heard the screams!" Melina's voice rose again, her panic more pronounced as she thought of the horrible things that would happen to them. "You know what's out there!"_

_"It's a fucking story Melina!" Elliot shouted letting go of Phade to shake the panicked girl. "An urban legend, there's no killer living in these caverns!" but nothing he said could convince her. She kept talking, producing more scenarios but Phade knew, she had the memory…_

_Phade barely noticed the pale blur as it passed. Her mind was slow to process what her eyes were seeing, what she heard- the screams were so loud, they echoed inside of her._

_Melina was gone; black spots peppered the ground where she'd been standing. Elliot was cursing, clutching at his arm which hung at an odd angle. Phade's flash light wavered on the ground, the sound of her breathing sounded loud in her ears now that the screaming had stopped. She didn't want to look, didn't wasn't to see…_

_The light trailed up oddly steady, dark streaks stained the rocks. She wanted to drop her flashlight but her fingers were firmly wrapped around it. The light shone higher, passed over a pale form and then Melina's face was illuminated. _

_Phade felt as if a hand were closing about her lungs, she couldn't drag in a breath and Melina stared back. Dark eyes wide and her mouth open, a silent scream on her lips._

_Far off she heard more yelling, her arm was pulled roughly and then she was being dragged away. She stumbled along blindly, her mind filled with Melina's face- it was pale, like a wax statue. Phade had been to the was museum on Sunset with her friends, had seen the still figures, stared at the faces and felt her skin crawl. They looked weird, half real, half fake and Melina reminded her of those figures._

_"Jaden!"_

_"Oh my God!"_

_"What happened to you?"_

_"Where's Melina?"_

_"Jaden?"_

_Phade focused on the pale blue eyes staring down at her. She blinked a few times, sound rushed in all around her and Phade had trouble distinguishing the voices, the words from the screaming. She looked over Dusty's shoulder to Blake and Leighton. They were yelling and Elliot was clutching his arm. His face was pale, lips pressed into a thin line…_

_"Where's Noël?" Phade asked softly. "Syrus?" she looked up at Dusty, concerned and beginning to feel frightened again._

_"You!" Leighton screamed shoving Phade out of Dusty's hold. _

_"Leighton!" Dusty grabbed her around the waist, pulled her away from his girlfriend but he couldn't make her stop screaming accusations. Phade stood very still, the words crashing around her…_ 'My fault…'

_"WHAT THE FUCK!" Blake roared. All eyes turned to him, watched him slap at his shoulder and face. "What the hell is this!" he demanded shuffling away from the light as Phade slowly shone her flash light. _

_There in the center of their small group was a pale, bloody stump encased in pink cashmere. The fingers were curled, the green flash of Melina's ring shone like a little emerald spark. _

_They screamed again, Blake brushed at his face and chest where Melina's blood coated his letterman jacket. The lights bounced all over their little cavern as Elliot, Leighton, Blake and Dusty panicked. _

_Phade stood numbly, watching in a detached fascination as Blake was yanked off his feet. He struggled, feet kicking, legs swinging and then he slammed into the rock above. There was a black crevice there and Blake held onto the lip of rock above his head, nails scratching as he screamed for help. They were all screaming, Leighton's voice high pitched and louder than the others._

_Phade heard the snap of bones, her light shone on Blake as he was yanked further into the crevice. His eyes went wide in shock, mouth open in a scream for help. They could all see him, bent in half, arms hanging limp between his legs and feet sticking straight out beside his ears._

_The moment stretched out for Phade, it moved in slow motion. Blake slowly slid into the crevice, pulled in by whatever had killed Melina. She could hear the sound of cloth scraping on the rocks, the little pop as more bones shattered and then he was gone._

_Their screams broke into her trance like state, echoed in her head as blood rushed down to her feet. They ran, Elliot clutched his arm leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Leighton was shoved ahead by Dusty and they ran. No one looked back, not one of them bothered, fear spurred them on and the sight of their friend dying kept them going._

**w**

Indiana…

Dean remembered that year, the pretty little brunette that enrolled two months late he shadowed around the high school. She was feisty; he'd caught her arguing with her older brother a few times, smacked him… Most of the time he saw her she was laughing and smiling but when she thought no one was looking she'd just sit back and watch. Dean had always wondered why she'd look… sad, maybe lonely.

Then there was Sam with his whining and constant mood swings. Buffering the arguments between his brother and Father, wanting to hunt and being forced to stay behind to baby-sit.

Senior year…

Normal kids where talking about graduation, prom and partying but not the Winchester's. John had the boys in the backyard practicing or inside cleaning their weapons.

Hunting…

Dean had been excited to go, he'd just turned eighteen and he was going with his Dad. The only draw back he could see was that he'd be stuck with Sam but life was good- until they reached the caves.

**_Boot_****_ Hill Ice Caves_****_…_**

_"Why do we listen to her?" Noël asked turning to look up at her boyfriend. Syrus shrugged holding her close._

_"So you don't want to be all alone with me?" he teased._

_"Syrus, I love you." Noël stated stopping to look up at him. "But I do not want to make out in some dirty caverns."_

_"Great. You can all get on home then."_

_Noël let out a yelp of surprise and Syrus jerked around. They stared at the green eyes blond who held a shotgun draped over his shoulder. Behind him stood a quiet boy carrying a duffel and holding a flashlight._

_"I know you." Noël said with a little frown._

_"Yeah, well time to go home. Come on." Dean motioned them back towards the campfire they'd left behind ten minutes ago._

_"We're not going anywhere." Syrus stated. _

_"You don't want to stay here." Sam insisted earning a glare from Dean._

_"Like I said. Time to go home." He repeated trying a patient smile at the couple._

_"What-." Noël yelped as she heard the scream. She clutched at Syrus who wrapped his arms around her while glancing around the cavern._

_"Now." Dean snapped grabbing onto Syrus' jacket. "We get out of here now." He started dragging them back to their camp when they heard more screams._

_"Wait! We can't leave! What about the others? Syrus." Noël pulled back looking from Dean to her boyfriend._

_"How many of you?" Dean asked looking from one face to the other but neither answered. "How many!" he snapped startling Noël._

_"There's six more." Syrus answered grabbing hold of Noël's hand. She stumbled towards him and then Dean pushed them in front of him ordering Sam to move._

**w**

They couldn't save everyone. Dean knew that as well as Sam or John had known but it wasn't easy to see the people you were trying to save die. It never got easy…

Dean's hands clenched the steering wheel, knuckles turning white as he thought about the Caverns. It hadn't been just one Aswang his Father had been hunting and had he been alone there was no doubt in his mind they'd have been left without a parent.

Again.

The girl, she'd recognized him from one of their classes but she'd never said anything about him being there. The police never went nosing about his house, no one asked him at school and those kids never thanked them either.

Dean snorted, shook his head.

_'Teenagers.'_ But it wasn't just kids, it was the adults too. People couldn't accept what was in the dark…

**_Boot_****_ Hill Ice Caves_****_…_**

_John__ followed the screams, difficult though it might be with the echoes. His light shone on dark splotches and knew the Aswang had taken a victim. He scowled, there was more than one. John hadn't expected there to be more and he worried his boys were in danger. If anything happened to them…_

_Harsh breathing, that's what he heard ahead and coming into the cavern he saw the young girl. She clutched the end of a heavy flashlight, her feet shuffling in the dirt floor as she backed away. Following the line of her eyes, John saw what stalked towards her._

_The Aswang._

_He raised his shotgun when a shadow caught his attention. He turned and fired above the girls head where another had crouched ready to pounce. He heard her scream even as blood sprayed over the rock ledge. Turning towards the girl he saw her swing the flashlight, the bulb shattering as it cracked against the Aswangs head. John fired again hitting the body but the girl slammed into the rocks at her back with the beast half on her. John fired again but it lay still, he kicked it with the toe of his boot but it was dead. Leaning down he yanked on the pale furred body exposing the girl lying unconscious. There was a gash on her forehead, slightly bleeding but otherwise she looked unharmed._

_The loud rapport had John hunching over the young girl, gun in hand as he aimed over their heads. A second Aswang fell over, blood running out of the half opened maw and behind it stood Dean. _

_"I told you to get these kids out." John said. None of the pride he felt showed in his voice, he didn't praise his son though he wanted to. Dean's face had been set, jaw clenched. There was no shocked look on his young features, no hesitation, he didn't react the way other boys his age would at seeing the Aswang._

_"We did. There were five but we were coming back for the other three." Dean answered. He stepped past the dead Aswang, keeping a wary eye on it._

_"There was another Aswang." Sam murmured. He stood over the Aswang staring._

_Dean stopped at his Father's side, green eyes widening slightly as he recognized the girl lying in the dirt with blood on her forehead._

_"Is she-?" but Dean couldn't bring himself to finish the question. _

_"No, Dean. The Aswang pushed her into the rock and she hit her head." John slipped his hand to her neck then pulled back. "She's got a strong pulse." He sighed, one hand rubbing over his face tiredly._

_"I know her." Dean murmured. John looked at his son sharply._

_"Isn't that…?" Sam began glancing over Dean's shoulder. "Her brother's in my English lit class. I think his name's Guy."_

_John__ turned to his youngest; the scowl on his face a permanent feature as far as Sam was concerned._

_"This girl goes to your school?" he demanded. Sam just nodded while Dean knelt. "And the other kids, they know you? Both of you?" he demanded turning to Dean._

_"Yes, sir."_

_"No." _

_Sam__ and Dean glared at each other._

_"Damn it boys." John's voice rose. He didn't need the attention and moving would only draw unwanted questions._

_"They don't know us, sir." Dean sent a warning glare to his brother then turned to his Dad. "We're not exactly popular and that's who she hangs out with." He nodded to the unconscious girl between them._

_John__ ran his hand over his face once more before making up his mind._

_"Let's go." He handed the guns to Dean. "We can't stay here." _

_Dean__ watched his Dad slip his arms under Jaden lifting her easily._

_"Grab the flashlight." He ordered turning away from Dean. _

**w**

Jaden slammed the trunk closed. She rounded the Mustang and opened the door waiting for Roque to jump in. He settled in the back seat sniffing at the Tupperware on the floor but didn't set a paw on it.

The Mustang purred to life and with a last look at her spoiled camp out Jaden pulled onto the dirt road.

_'September is too late to camp out anyway.'_

Still her mind kept bringing back the night she'd snuck out of her house and gone on another camp out. Sometimes she could pretend it had been someone else it happened to, another girl too stubborn for her own good getting in trouble jus because.

But she never could forget John, couldn't forget what he'd said…

"John Winchester."

Jaden sighed, one hand threading through her wet hair as she drove.

**_Fort Wayne_****_, Indiana_****_…_**

_Phade woke to pounding in her temples. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped her head with both hands but the pain only worsened._

_"You'll make it worse grabbing at your head like that."_

_Phade sat up, wide eyed and frightened. She noticed the leather interior of the car, saw she was in the back seat and looked for the door handles before focusing on the man in the driver's seat._

_"Whoa, settled down." he turned in the seat, brown eyes softening. "I'm not going to hurt you."_

_Phade scooted as far from him as she could, her heart thumped in her chest so hard she thought it might burst. She wondered if he could hear it. _

_Was he one of them…?_

_"You're home now." He said. "Safe." He motioned towards the windshield and glancing nervously Phade's jaw dropped. They were parked in front of her house._

_"How-?" but she bit her lip and kept quiet. She wondered what happened to the others but was afraid to ask._

_Melina's face swam before her eyes and she closed them, a small whimper caught in her throat._

_"Shh, it's alright now." John moved to lay a gentle hand on her but stopped. He watched a tear roll down her cheek leaving a trail in the dirt on her face. Something in his chest tightened, he felt for the girl. He cursed the heavens for what she had seen and what he was going to tell her she _hadn't_ seen. The girl couldn't have been younger than Sam…_

_"No." Phade shook her head both hands coming up to wipe at her eyes. "No it's not. I-." but she shook her head again. What was the point when no one believed her before? When uncle RJ and Timmy left her alone to face the family? It wouldn't be any different this time and telling a stranger she'd seen- seen- she didn't even know what that had been._

_"In the morning you'll feel better." He spoke softly. "This'll seem like a bad dream-."_

_Phade laughed. She wasn't very loud but the sound of her laughter made John nervous. He reached down for his gun, fingers touching the cold metal as he watched the girl._

_Phade shook her head and winced. One hand reached to her temple, felt the sticky blood and choked back her laughter. They were all the same, all the adults. They told her she was wrong, told her she hadn't seen what she said she'd seen. They treated her as if she were a spoiled child, a liar…_

_"Who are you mister? How do you know where I live?"_

_John__'s features hardened at her questions. He looked her over again… "Christo." The girl just stared at him, she didn't flinch, didn't blink, her eyes didn't go black, she was human._

_"Don't look like Chritso to me." Phade mumbled watching him frown._

_"My name's John." He scowled at the slip but he couldn't take it back. "Yours?"_

_Phade frowned. He knew where she lived but he didn't know her name?_

_"Jaden Vartan." She nodded towards the dark house. "That's where I live but you know that. So why pretend you don't know my name? Where are the others? What happened to them?" her eyes went wide with fear. "They didn't- are they- are they dead? Did those- things get them?"_

_John shifted in his seat, the lie ready but he found himself oddly hesitant about it. The girl had seen the Aswang, she'd seen it come at her and she hadn't screamed. She didn't run or cower like a normal teenager or any person for that matter. Faced with something like that anyone would run screaming but the girl tried to fight._

_"I'm sure your friends are ok." John knew they'd gotten out safely, Dean and Sam had escorted them as far as their campfire before coming to help him._

_"Not all of them." Phade mumbled. She felt tired; her head rested on the seat back, she tried not to let the burning in her eyes turn to real tears. Crying in front of this stranger would be unbearable…_

_John threaded his fingers in her hair gently, trying to lend some comfort and thinking of his boys. How many times had Sam woken in the middle of the night with a bad dream? How many times had John pointed out the lines of salt and told him nothing could get him? He knew it wasn't what a normal Father would be telling his son but pretending they didn't know about the things in the dark wouldn't help him either. All John wanted was to keep his boys safe, to keep them alive. They were all he had left…_

_"I'm sorry about that." John murmured. "The Mt. Lion-."_

_"Mt. Lion?" Phade raised her head, brown eyes narrowed. "You're really going to tell me that thing was a Mt. Lion?" she knew he was trying to convince her, just like her family had done. "Forget it, you wouldn't believe me anyway. You're all the same."_

_"Believe what?" he couldn't help but ask. John heard the hurt in her voice, saw the anger in her features, the disappointment mirrored in her eyes. _

_"It wasn't a Mt. Lion but telling you what I saw is like telling them I'm not lying or making shit up." Phade waved a hand at her house. "You think I'm some stupid kid with a vivid imagination or-or try and tell me the shock of what happened up there screwed with my head or I'm trying to call attention only I know what I saw!" Phade's voice rose, the words coming out in a rush. She realized it was useless to try and convince them and it wouldn't be any different with John. _

_"And what did you see?" John questioned. Phade looked at him, wondered if he were just humoring her but he didn't say anything, just waited for her to answer._

_"They were- it looked- like…" Phade bit her lip because she was about to say they had looked like giant evil cats. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she hated that there was nothing she could say to disprove his Mt. Lion explanation. "It was evil." Phade bit out as tears rolled down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped them away with a harsh hand._

_"It was dark." John said. "All you had was your flashlight, its easy to get confused and it could've been a Cougar."_

_"Right, a Cougar?" Phade scoffed with another laugh. "Next you're going to tell me I didn't see the yellow eyed man run down my Aunt in the middle of downtown LA."_

_John__ stiffened at mention of Yellow Eyes._

_"It must've been the sun or a flare because nobody has yellow eyes-." Phade gritted her teeth. She could just hear him start to tell her she was in shock but no one was going to change the fact that she'd _seen_ him. The man had stared at her, he'd been smirking and his eyes… they'd been weird- freaky looking, the irises slit like a cat. Phade grabbed the handle opening the door when John stretched out his hand._

_"Wait." He said holding her arm. "This dem- man…"_

_Phade looked at him. There was something in his eyes, a look sort of like… _'Mine.'_ Phade realized he had to know she was telling the truth. _

_"Demon." Phade stated and when John didn't deny or protest she was sure he knew she was telling the truth. Abuelita had said there were people who knew the truth but it wasn't safe to admit it. "He was smiling-. The police said the driver was- they never found him, truck was stolen but I remember he was smiling…" she remembered feeling cold, fear had kept her rooted to her spot, her aunt lying in the middle of the street, bloody…_

_"When did this happen? How long ago?" John asked leaning towards the young girl. She was staring out the windshield to her house but he knew she wasn't seeing the two story building._

_"Why?" Phade turned her eyes on John. "You don't believe me. Nobody does." But her words lacked conviction._

_"People don't always believe kids." John sighed. "They don't know what's out there; have never come up against something like tonight. It's easier to pretend they're all stories. Truth is, fiction is based on fact." _

_They sat in silence for a long moment. He'd never expected to tell another kid the truth about demons, take away their innocence as he'd done to his boys. John wasn't finding it any easier and swallowing his discomfort was just as hard as it had been before._

_"I remember the smell." Phade murmured leaning both arms on the seat back and resting her chin. "That day, with all those people- the blood…" she swallowed past the lump in her throat and continued in a softer voice. "I didn't know what it was, not then. Sulfur." She glanced at John who was listening to her, sympathy on his features. "I thought he was the devil." Phade whispered fearing John would laugh at her._

_"How do you know…?" John asked instead though he lay a gentle hand on her arm and squeezed._

_"My Grandmother." Phade replied as new tears sprang to her eyes. She couldn't believe there was one adult who wasn't telling her she was crazy, trying to convince her she'd been seeing things that weren't real. "She's a bruja, mostly herbs and roots…" she explained remembering her Grandmother's warning about people scaring easily over things they didn't understand and they thought were evil. "She told me about the sulfur and demons. How to ward them off and protect a home. Curses, hexes- the stories… every summer." Phade looked at the dark house again. Had anyone noticed she was missing? "Every summer since it happened." She whispered._

_John closed his eyes, his hand still on her arm. She was just a kid and already she knew more than she should._

_"This is dangerous." John warned tugging her arm until she looked at him. "You saw tonight, with your friends…" he saw her face pinch at mention of them. "Don't look for trouble sweet heart." John wished he could do something for her but she wasn't his responsibility. "You still have a long life ahead…" he though of Dean, his son was eighteen. This was his senior year; he should be out having fun with other boys his age, going to prom with some girl… Dean should've been thinking of his future, College, a career… but his son didn't ask for any of those things, he didn't expect the same thing other boys his age._

_Sam__… it was harder with Sam because he wanted normal. He wanted to do what the other kids his age were doing; he wanted to be part of their world. John couldn't blame him for wanting it, for demanding the life his boys _should've_ had but John couldn't pretend- he couldn't ignore there were things out there. Things that wanted his boys and him dead. Things that had already taken his wife._

_"I'm supposed to go back to 'normal'." Phade stated. She sat up and glared at John. "Like nothing ever happened, like I didn't _see_-. Again." she shook her head sliding back until she was sitting on the edge of the leather seat. "Third time in my life I have to pretend its all in my head."_

_John__ could see she was angry, he didn't blame her... Three times and here he was telling her just to forget it ever happened. He reached in his jacket and pulled out a pen. Phade watched him scribble something on a piece of paper._

_"If ever there's a fourth." John held out the folded paper hoping she'd never have to use it, never have to call. "He can help."_

_Phade took the folded sheet. She sat there just looking at John and wondered what it was that made him look as if the world were weighing him down. He didn't strike her as a bad person and Abuelita had always said; _'Listen to your guts, niña. They never lie.'

_Phade opened the door still looking at John as she set her foot on the curb._

_"Thank you." She didn't wait for a reply and stepping out she closed the door. She could see him through the window still looking at her. The expression on his face reminded her of her Dad, the way he used to look at her before. She offered a sad smile, the sting of tears in her throat, suddenly feeling melancholy. _

_Phade heard the loud roar of the Impala then John pulled away from her house. The folded paper still in her hand, she opened it to find a phone number and a name. Phade glanced up but the back lights had disappeared. She shivered in the cold night and folding the paper she put it in her pocket._

**_Fort Wayne_****_, Indiana_****_…_**

_Sam__ was lucky they got to stay in school. His Dad had wanted to leave that same night but Sam had protested, they couldn't leave not that close to test week. Dean had rolled his eyes but he'd jumped in, backed up his little brother and saying it would look too suspicious if they left right after the incident at the Caverns._

_Now, Dean was wishing he hadn't been so convincing._

_The first day back from winter break had been full of excitement and not for the tests no one but the egg heads had studied for. All the kids were talking about Blake Al'aire and Melina Dominick. Somehow everybody knew about the Boot Hill Ice Caves and that the killer had struck again. There was a brief mention during the morning announcements and then it was all business._

_Dean__ didn't care one way or another; he sat in class bored out of his mind when he noticed the girl from the caverns making eyes at him._

_He grinned._

_The bell rang and Dean got to his feet watching as the girl made her way through the kids until she stood in front of him._

_"Hi." She said looking nervously around the room._

_"Hi." Dean drawled with his grin still in place._

_"Uum, can I talk to you?" she asked shifting the books in her arm._

_"Sure." Dean draped an arm around her shoulders and started walking her out of the classroom. In the hall Noël pulled out of his arm with a frown._

_"What did you see?" _

_Dean__ lost his grin at the question, though he quickly pasted on another smile._

_"See where?" he asked looking around the hall full of kids strolling by to their next class._

_"In the ice caves." Noël hissed glancing around as well. "You had a shotgun-." At that Dean lost his smile. He cleared his throat, one hand covering his mouth. "Don't tell me you weren't there. Two of my friends are dead. You had to see something, please…"_

_"I'm sorry." Dean said. "We didn't find anyone else."_

_For a second Dean didn't think she'd let it go._

_"Noël."_

_They both turned to see Syrus come up with the rest of their friends. Dean kept his eyes on the little brunette sporting a bruise on her forehead. She didn't look at anyone and the blond jock at her side kept her close. Dean's jaw clenched, the green eyed monster rearing its ugly head once more._

_"Syrus, hey." Noël smiled nervously at Dusty. She paled catching sight of Leighton approaching from the opposite hall. She'd avoided school the past two days, hoping she'd stay away the rest of the week was a likely possibility._

_"Dean." Syrus nodded as he took Noël's books from her, their hands linking. _

_"Hey." Dean replied but his eyes slid to Jaden. He found her staring at the lockers, her brow furrowed._

_"What is _she_ doing here?" Leighton's voice drew everyone's attention._

_"Leighton-." Noël stepped towards the auburn haired girl._

_"Shut up Noël." Leighton snapped. Her face was flushed red, pale green eyes flashing with anger as she yanked Jaden's arm. "You're the one who should've died. You!"_

_"Leighton!" Syrus grabbed her arm pulling her away from Jaden who still hadn't said a word._

_"Let go! That bitch-."_

_"Shut up!" Syrus snapped._

_"Stop defending her!" she yanked out of his hold but by now all the kids left in the hall were watching. "None of this would have happened if you'd never come here!"_

_"This wasn't anyone's fault, Leighton." Noël glared absently taking her books from Syrus._

_"It's your fault!" Leighton struck Jaden, the sting in her cheek pissed her off but she bit her lip and kept the angry words to herself._

_"Chic fight." Dusty crowed earning a glare for Syrus._

_"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dean snapped._

_"You're the problem, Jaden. You! All you do is make trouble." Leighton accused shoving Jaden into the lockers. _

_"Stop it, Leigh." Noël warned but Leighton shoved her hand away._

_"Look at them!" Leighton pointed at Dusty and Dean. "This is your fault too. You should've died!" _

_"Going to the caverns was your idea." Jaden said loud enough to be heard by the kids in the hallway. "You wanted to go camping and Blake. Nobody else wanted to camp out, nobody wanted to spend the night up there but you insisted! You!" Jaden jabbed a finger at the older girl. She was fed up with the whole bunch. _

_"Don't put this on me, bitch!" Leighton's face was mottled. She raised her hands to shove Jaden again._

_"Touch me again and I'll kick your ass." Jaden warned. It was enough to push Leighton into action. She slapped Jaden again and got a fist in her face in return. Jaden grabbed a fistful of auburn hair and using all her strength pulled the older girl around until she banged into the lockers. _

_The hall was full of screaming kids but it was all a muffled roar in her head. She saw Dusty reach around her to pick up Leighton from the floor, felt Syrus grab her arm and pull her away from them. Noël's angry face registered and then her words sank in, made sense._

_"Are you happy now?" Noël demanded glaring at Dusty. "You're helping her when you should've been defending your girlfriend, Dusty!"_

_"He's not my boyfriend." Jaden snapped brushing an inky strand out of her face. "I never did like him. Just an empty headed jock too stupid to see I'm not into him."_

_"You fucking bitch." Dusty glared, his hands dropping from Leighton's arms._

_"Shut up! You ran, you left your 'best friend' behind to die and ran. You didn't bother trying to help him!" every one was listening with rapt attention, getting every detail from the new girl who'd been there._

_"Shut up, bitch!" Dusty took a step in her direction but Dean and Syrus took up positions at her side._

_"Elliot had more balls than you! He tried to help Melina; he has the wounds to prove it but you! You ran screaming with her!" Jaden jabbed a finger at Leighton who stood just behind Dusty. A bruise already forming on her cheek from Jaden's fist._

_Dusty's face went red. He heard the laughing kids saw them pointing at him…_

_"I was done with you anyway." He tossed her back pack on the floor and spat. "Fucking cheap whore."_

_"This coming from the eunuch." Jaden snapped. "You couldn't get it up even when you did find that thing you call a dick."_

_Dean__ stepped in planting his fist in Dusty's face as he made to grab Jaden. She pushed her way around them glaring at Dusty._

_"Steroids fuck up what little brain cells you have left." There was a low murmur at her words._

_"I don't fucking use!" he denied looking guiltier. "You're lying! Nobody's going to believe you." He looked around at the faces, saw her brother coming up the hall and smirked. "You're the one spreading it, Jaden."_

_"Not for you!" Jaden snapped knowing that a straight out denial would only make her look guilty. It wouldn't matter that she'd never let him touch her except in public but this was his way of passing off the negative attention. _

_"Dusty-." Noël was surprised. _

_"Shut up, Noël. You know they were up in his room all break." Leighton added._

_"You mean you and Blake were up in his room." Noël retorted earning a shocked gasp from Leighton. "What's the matter? You didn't think we'd noticed?"_

_"Blake?" Dusty echoed. He looked to Leighton whose face had paled._

_"You're so stupid it's embarrassing." Jaden laughed._

_"Shut the fuck up! Nobody in this school would touch you!" Dusty yelled. _

_"Really?" Jaden snorted, she looked around, her eyes stopping on Dean. With a smirk at Dusty she grabbed Dean's shirt in her hands and pulled him down._

_"Fucking…"_

_Dean__ stumbled, surprised by her sudden move. He really didn't mind though and wrapping his arms around her waist he kissed her back. _

_The kids in the hall broke into raucous jeers and taunts but neither noticed. It was Luis who pulled them apart. Her brother who yelled and then they were all pulled into the principals office…_

**w**


End file.
